Chapter 11
'Be home in time for dinner Kiko. It's pizza, your favorite.' The voice sounded from the kitchen accompanied by the sounds of pans and the smell of cooking.
The young man smiled and nodded at his Mom and then waved his hand as he set off from his house to go see the man who'd once been his "Big Brother". Now almost 19, Kiko had no need of the scheme any more and in fact was a "Big Brother" himself, but his friendship with the big flaxen haired cop who'd befriended him as a young boy had endured over the years and had developed into something even deeper and more meaningful. Kiko had been on the best of terms with Starsky too and had taken the news of the curly haired cop's death as badly as anyone, and he knew just how sad Hutch would be, and that how right now, the blond would need a friend. He'd tried once or twice to phone Venice Place and each time a woman's voice had answered and had coldly told him that Hutch wasn't receiving visitors. Never one to take no for an answer, and needing some consolation himself, Kiko had finally decided that if he couldn't speak to his friend on the telephone, then he'd go around to see him in person.
He lived not too far from the blond cop's house and as the weather was reasonably changeable, he decided to take his motor cycle. He'd been so proud when he'd got permission from his Mom to get one and Hutch and Starsky had both helped him pick it out going to the sales place with him and helping him test them out. Now he clipped the chinstrap of the helmet in place threw his leg over the machine and started the engine. As he set off, he thought of the motorbike lessons Starsky had given him and the times Hutch had followed behind in his beater of a car as Kiko had wobbled around the streets getting used to his new machine. Now proficient in his riding, he took the route to Hutch's easily and slowly, enjoying the feel of the machine between his legs. He looked forward to telling Hutch how much he enjoyed the riding, thinking it might brighten the cop's day but as he pulled up outside his buddy's address his face creased into a frown. Damn, the woman's car was still parked outside.
Despite not really wanting to come into contact with the waspish woman, the young man parked his cycle neatly by the curb, secured his bike and set off up the steps to Hutch's apartment. His primary reason for coming here was to visit Hutch and if he had to, he'd chance being rude and ignore the woman who'd moved in with his friend.
As he reached the top of the steps, Kiko paused, his hand outstretched as he thought he heard a noise from inside the apartment. Cautiously he knocked on the door. He didn't want to burst in on an argument, or something altogether more embarrassing, but the door was on the latch and as he knocked, the door cracked open. Feeling a little like a burglar, he pushed the door open wider and gasped as he saw the woman, bending over the sofa, her back to him. At first he couldn't quite make out what she was doing and was about to back quietly out of the room, but he heard the same indistinct muffled noise again and as he looked closer, Kiko realised that the woman was holding something over Hutch's face. It was quite obvious to the young man that what she was doing didn't amount to kissing the blond and then he heard her hiss something into Hutch's ear and the blond made a muffled moan.
Throwing caution to the wind, he took two huge strides across the room and grabbed a hold of the woman around her waist, pulling her away from the sofa, not caring if he was interrupting something untoward. To Kiko's dismay, as he dragged Sue away, he saw Hutch slump down onto the sofa, his eyes closed and it was immediately apparent that the blond was unconscious. With no time to check on his friend, Kiko had his hands full in holding onto the struggling woman.
As Sue felt the hands snake around her waist and strong arms grab a hold of her, she yelled out in frustration and fury, flailing her arms wildly. She tried to spin round to see who had caught a hold of her but Kiko had her in his iron grip and she screamed out at him.
'What the hell? Leave me alone…..get your damned dirty little hands off of me.'
'What were ya doing to him?' Kiko grunted, holding tightly to her.
'None of your damned business. Let me go…..LET ME GOOOO' she yelled.
Kiko continued to hold on but Sue was strong, her revenge fuelling her strength so that her struggles were difficult to control.
'Hutch?' Kiko yelled at the limp form on the sofa. 'HUTCH!'
Sue laughed. 'You're too late. You're too damned late to save him. He had it coming to him. It was all his fault. He made me. He drove me to it' she babbled, her voice holding an edge of hysteria to it.
'Calm down lady. For God's sake calm down' the young man gasped. 'Just hang fire an' tell me what this is all about. What have ya done at him?'
'Oh my God! You're as bad as he is – all talk an' "let me understand". He deserved this. And then he gets his goody two shoes little friends to come along and….'
Kiko's temper snapped. Up until then he'd thought that, while the woman was obviously out of her mind, he'd be able to reason with her. But what she was saying about Hutch was so horrible, so vitriolic!
'Lady, will ya shut the hell up' he yelled at her. The room was warm and he could feel himself sweating with exertion. His hands were beginning to slip and he couldn't let go to get a better grip because Sue seemed hell bent on getting back to Hutch and doing even more damage. Kiko tried again to get the blond's attention.
'HUUUUTCH' he shouted.
'It's too late. He's gone' Sue snapped with obvious, relish. 'You're too damned late to save him.'
'Nooo, Hutch. Hutch!' the young man cried out, torn between checking on the blond cop and holding onto the woman who wanted to murder him. Eventually, Sue took the law into her own hands. As Kiko bent over to talk into her ear and try to reason with her, she snapped her head back, the back of it connecting with force against the young man's nose. Kiko's eyes teared at the smarting pain and he could feel the blood starting to flow from his nostrils as the coppery tang of his own blood filled the back of his throat. He coughed and spluttered but still held on tight to Sue's waist and she tried a different attack, this time bringing the pointed heel of her shoe down on his sneaker clad foot. Kiko let out a howl of pain and finally his grasp on her broke. He let out a cry of frustration, flinging himself at her again, his finger tips just grazing her arm as Sue seized her chance and made a run for the door.
As she put her hand on the door handle, she yanked open the door, her attention still on Kiko and virtually fell into Captain Dobey's arms.
'Grab her' Kiko yelled from the floor. Dobey took one look at the young man on the floor and caught the note of panic in his voice. Without pausing to ask questions he caught a hold of the woman's fleeing body. The impetus of her flight caused the both of them to overbalance and with a yelp of surprise, Dobey felt himself fall backwards and down the steps. Over and over they tumbled own the wooden steps until finally the two intertwined bodies came to a rest in the small atrium by the front door with a grunt.
Huggy Bear, who had been following the Captain into the apartment skipped back down the steps three at a time. The female whirlwind had dashed past him at such a speed that he'd hardly registered what was happening and he'd been amazed at the shear speed of Dobey's reactions. Now, he skidded to a halt by the side of the bodies and fell to his knees by the side of the black cop. Hardly bearing to touch, Huggy put out his hand and gently prodded Dobey's shoulder and was rewarded by a deep, guttural groan and deep brown eyes that fluttered open. Beneath him, Sue seemed to be unconscious but miraculously there was no blood.
'Cap'n? Are you ok? That was one hell of a tumble ya took' Huggy asked as Dobey struggled to try to sit up.
'Hmmm….yeah. I'm good. Bruised. My pride's hurt.'
'Nothing more?'
The Captain snorted and patted himself down. 'Don't think so, no. What about her?'
'Out for the count, but she seems ok. Don't look like nothin's broken.'
The Captain shuffled round until he could get to his feet. Although shaken, he seemed to be none the worse for wear and he fumbled the handcuffs from the back of his pocket and bent down to snap them on the woman's wrists.
'Hug, watch her while I go and call for the meat wagon and some back up. And then I need to talk to Kiko and find out what all this is about.'
'Sure thing Cap'n Huggy said and squatted down on the steps by the side of Sue's body.
Dobey staggered up the stairs. Now that the initial surge of adrenaline was leaving his body he could feel the bruises starting to blossom down his arm, side and leg, but he ignored the soreness and stiffness, aware that nothing was broken. Thanking God for Edith's home cooking that provided a layer of padding over his frame, he pushed open the door to the apartment and walked in. He was immediately aware of frantic sounds coming from the sofa and crossed over the room.
Kiko had picked himself up from the floor and, ignoring the blood still seeping from his nose, he'd immediately gone to Hutch and was now kneeling by the side of the sofa, his hands on Hutch's neck as he sought out the cop's pulse. He looked up as Dobey came to stand by him.
'I can't find his pulse….I think he's dead…..she killed him' the young man whispered.
The Captain gently pulled Kiko away and knelt down by the side of the flaxen haired cop.
'Hutch? Hutch, open your eyes' he said as he checked pulse and breathing. Although the beat was there, very weak and thready, the blond was having difficulty breathing and the black man looked up.
'Kiko, you did good son. Ring for an ambulance and then ring the Metro and ask them to send a black and white. Tell 'em Captain Dobey needs it huh? Go on…..quick.'
As the young man hurried to his task, Dobey looked down at Hutch's unconscious body with alarm. The once healthy, vital man seemed to have shrunk to half his normal size. His ribs stuck out from his chest, the golden skin looking dry and wasted as it pulled tight across them. The blond's eyes were closed and his face seemed sunken cheeked and hollow eyed. He was the picture of ill health and again Dobey checked the cop's pulse. It was still there and the Captain started talking, more for his own comfort than for Hutch's benefit.
'C'mon son. Wake up for me huh? You can fight this. We can do it together. I know it's bad and I know you're hurting, but we have news. I was comin' to tell you, we have news. We wanted to get somethin' of Starsky's for ya and we….' Dobey reached for Hutch's hand and as he lifted it, something small, round and shiny fell onto the cushion of the sofa. He picked it up and studied the coin and leather thong carefully, recognising it instantly. The necklace! Where in hell had Hutch got that? 'I guess you already know son. Where'd ya get this huh? Where'd ya get the necklace from? You were right. It wasn't him in the fire, was it?'
From the sofa, Hutch's breath quickened, his eyes moving rapidly beneath the pale, almost translucent eyelids and the blond's lips parted.
'Starsk….' He whispered.
'Yeah, we're gonna find him son, but ya gotta get well. We need ya. Starsky needs ya. Ya hear that Hutch? Starsky's alive and he needs ya.'
